#verbalflux

[thehorrorwood]

“no!! dont use your aac device or your cane! youre gonna look disabled!!!!”

im gonna hold your hand when I tell you this-

[disabirbity]

People need to stop infantalising those who struggle to speak, speak/communicate differently, or can't speak at all.

No, that nonverbal person is not an innocent soft baby you need to protect. That person who has verbal shutdowns is not as gentle and kind as a plush toy. That semiverbal person is not a baby you need to spoonfeed. The person who communicates primarily through echolalia is still a person worthy of your respect as any other. That hyperverbal person can't control it any more than anyone else and treating them like an overexcited child isn't going to do them any good. People who stim or tic verbally don't need to be cooed at or treated like their tics and stims make them adorable. People who type in a disjointed way, make grammatical errors or have other issues with speech or typing still deserve to have their opinions respected. These are all still people.

It's fine if some people like this treatment, more power to them, that's a part of being a person--you decide what you want in your life. But people also really need to acknowledge that just because someone doesn't speak like you, it doesn't mean they're worth less or childlike or in need of babying. Don't assume that someone's a soft innocent baby just because they have issues with speech or text.

[thebuttercorner]

SUGGESTIONS FOR AAC BOARDS

uhh idk, i haven’t seen a lot of suggestion posts for what buttons to add to your AAC so i made one. here are my suggestions for super basic buttons

GENERAL

- hello, goodbye

- yes, no, maybe, i don’t know

- sorry, (it’s) okay, please, thank you

- who, what, where, when, why, how

- like, dislike, love, hate

- this, that

- up to you

- by the way

- excuse me

- is that okay?

- what’s up?

- i don’t think so

- do you have any ideas?

- what were you going to say?

- what do you mean?

- i need help please

add an acknowledgment section for phrases that show you’re acknowledging what people have to say (oh, yeah, that’s interesting, cool, etc.)

ADVOCACY

- i don’t like this/that

- that’s not okay

- that’s a slur

- thats transphobic/homophobic/racist/sexist/ableist/etc.

- that’s rude/fucked up

- intended or not, you’re being rude

- it’s ableist to take away someone’s communication device, either by force, or by asking them to stop using it.

- autism is not an intellectual disability, it’s a neurodevelopmental disability, it can come with commorbid intellectual disabilities, but that isn’t inherent

- no, not everyone is, quote unquote, on the spectrum, autism is a serious disability, not everyone has it.

AAC

- i’m having a verbal shutdown (depends on the user)

- i don’t want to verbalize right now (depends on the user)

- AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication

- AAC is for anyone who needs or wants to use it

- i use AAC for/to/because… (depends on user)

- i would describe myself as [verbality label such as nonverbal, semi-verbal, verbalflux, selectively mute, etc]

- your verbality label and its definition

- please don’t look at my screen while i’m talking without asking

- please don’t talk on my behalf

- i am using buttons right now instead of typing, so i may be slower than normal

- sorry, i’m still typing

- please be patient

- my device needs to be charged so i can speak

I WILL MAKE MORE POSTS ON THIS!!

[t0rt1-4ng3l]

here’s my newest updated communication card phrase list if anyone wants to make some and doesn’t know what to phrases to use

“my communication cards “

important info 

i’m overstimulated

 i don’t feel well

i need to use the bathroom 

that’s cool 

yes

no 

i don’t know 

stop 

i’m sorry

thank you

i love you 

i need a comfort item

 i need help 

i want to be alone 

please stay with me 

i can’t talk right now 

i need water 

i need to eat

 please ask yes/no questions

can you explain? 

don’t touch me 

can i have a hug? 

i don’t want to leave 

i want to leave

[charliesaac]

here are some WIPs of pages on my aac app… i use speech assistant aac on my iphone :P

all the symbols were made by yours truly :3

[only-knives]

some things i need help with because i wanna acknowledge it instead of beating myself up for not being able to do it/do it alone:

grocery shopping

cleaning dishes

cooking meals

doing laundry

making phone calls

making appointments

going to appointments

talking to professionals

cleaning my house

knowing when to speak to someone

talking to people in general

remembering to brush my teeth

ordering food at restaurants

going to an unfamiliar place

doing something i've never done before

transportation (i can't drive)

communicating my needs

communicating at all when not able to speak

... basically i need help managing things that you need to do in order to live as an adult. and. i have help with some of this but. not all of it, especially the self-care & house stuff.

[phobiamoji]

hihihi!! is there any chance you could make a verbal shutdown emoji? there's not really any emojis for verbal shutdowns that I can ever find anywhere! thank you if you take this, I really like your style!

-🐾🎉

verbal shutdown ★☆ verbal shutdown

݂۫ 𓏼| ͜͝ | ͜͝ . 1 verbal shutdown emoji

݂۫ 𓏼| ͜͝ | ͜͝ . 2 verbal shutdown emoji with outline

here you go ! i hope this is what you were looking for , and i hope i could convey a verbal shutdown well in the emoji . thank you , i appreciate the compliment on my style !! i hope you like the emoji , i may remake it and make it more clear that it is conveying a verbal shutdown , because i can see how this emoji could convey something other than a verbal shutdown . ( ex . nonverbal ) i hope you like it !

CREDIT IS REQUIRED — PHOBIA_ OR PM_

[isearainbow]

I wanted to make a piece that represented what it's like to have verbal shutdowns and the overall difficulty of talking that comes with being autistic and physically disabled so yeah! *thumbs up*